Everyone involved with Aeon Flux has been open about how much the studio meddled in it, while everything else Karyn Kusama has made has been generally well-received (Girlfight, The Invitation), or at least having developed a real cult following, as in Jennifer's Body. Not really sure why you're sneering over her latest work?

The Invitation lost money. A lot of money. You can't count Girlfight because that was her first film. Jennifer's Body made a ton of money but was a pretty sh!tty movie.

Cult following, hahaha.

LOL I don't even get what you're saying anymore. That Kasuma can't direct, or that she can't direct hit movies, which apparently reflects talent? But Girlfight doesn't count as either, because it was her debut?

Dude, just say what you mean instead of dancing around it.

Maybe go back and read my original post for clues.

I had no idea Kusama directed The Invitation. I remember it being pretty good. But wasn't it released on Netflix? Who don't release viewing figures. So how do you know if it lost money?

I didn't enjoy Girlfight, but I also don't understand why it doesn't count if it's her first film.

Jennifer's Body was forgettable. I was wise enough to steer clear of Aeon Flux.

I have to say I thought Destroyer was her best film. The story was nothing special but it was well made and pretty tense. Kusama just probably isn't suited to big blockbusters. Some filmmakers just aren't.

The Invitation grossed about $230K after 12 weeks in domestic theaters, with another $124K overseas. Budget is given as $1 Million. I have no idea about netflix.

Girlfight doesn't count because it was a first film that did very well and is the reason Kusama has any kind of career in the first place. I saw it at TIFF and wasn't exactly blown away, but at the time, a gritty first film about a girl boxer with a first time actress was kind of a big deal. Today of course, it'd be nothing special. A first film gets your foot in the door, or nobody ever sees it. It's what you do after that, that counts.

I despise Kusama, Phil Hay, & Matt Manfredi for ruining Aeon Flux.

The Destroyer is based on a played out premise and just has no gonads to speak of. And then there's the over the top makeup issue...

@MongoLloyd said:

The Invitation grossed about $230K after 12 weeks in domestic theaters, with another $124K overseas. Budget is given as $1 Million. I have no idea about netflix.

The Invitation doesn't strike me as the kind of film that was expected to make money in cinemas anyway. They probably never even intended a cinema release. And I imagine it not being difficult to make back a $1 million budget on home entertainment. Which is all irrelevant really, because financial success and quality are two completely different things.

Girlfight doesn't count because it was a first film that did very well and is the reason Kusama has any kind of career in the first place. I saw it at TIFF and wasn't exactly blown away, but at the time, a gritty first film about a girl boxer with a first time actress was kind of a big deal. Today of course, it'd be nothing special. A first film gets your foot in the door, or nobody ever sees it. It's what you do after that, that counts.

I feel bad for that poor Orson Welles guy. All that effort he put into his debut: Citizen Kane. And it doesn't even count.

I despise Kusama, Phil Hay, & Matt Manfredi for ruining Aeon Flux.

And you are free to do so. But John Carpenter has ruined many films over the past couple of decades. Do you despise him too? Do you now spit on the dvd cases of The Thing and Halloween? There does seem to be a lot of this lately. People hating a filmmaker for making one terrible film. When historically directors have made frequent terrible films and the public would let it go. There are very few directors that haven't made at least one terrible film at some point.

Sure, filmmakers spend other people's money to make "quality" movies for only their friends and family members to watch.

My point about first films (if it wasn't obvious enough) is that it's either an unknown film or it's a success. If Kusama made Girlfight and it never got into TIFF, etc., then her next film would more than likely have been her "first film."

As for the hacks who made the live action Aeon Flux, they took source material that was really unique and turned it into the most banal pablum imaginable. THAT takes a real profound lack of talent.